The final song of Christmas included in Luke’s gospel comes forty days after the birth of Jesus on the lips of an elderly man named Simeon. As Simeon holds Jesus in his arms, he begins praising God by joyfully proclaiming, “Lord, now you are dismissing your servant in peace.” Set in its original context, these are some of the most moving and inspiring words for us to consider as we launch into a new year. As we’ll see in this final episode in our series “Proclamations of Christmas,” in a world of transactional relationships and half-hearted commitments, Simeon’s devotion to God will challenge us to ask, “Am I fully devoted to the king, or am I simply going through the motions of a complacent Christianity that has lost the cosmic plot of God’s redemption for all people?”

• What was your biggest takeaway from the teaching?
• Does knowing that Jesus came from a poor family surprise you? Why or why not?
• What value do you see in Luke’s inclusion of Anna’s testimony about Jesus?
• What are one or two things that challenged your devotion or loyalty to the king in the past year?
• What’s one small action, practice, or habit you could take toward being utterly devoted to God in this year?
• How will you begin living out the truths of this teaching this week?

• Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth E. Bailey – Chapter 4
• The First Songs of Christmas by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
• The Liberation of Christmas by Richard Horsley – Chapter 4-6

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra charge to you).